SC urged: Cite Imee, lawyers in contempt

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) was asked yesterday to punish and cite Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and her lawyers in contempt for urging the tribunal not to be bullied by congressmen.

“The SC should cite them in contempt. The Marcos camp, knowing that it will lose its petition in the SC, is conditioning the minds of their loyalists that the high court allowed itself to be bullied,” House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, who represents Ilocos Norte’s first district, said.

The Marcos camp has expressed disappointment over the failure of the SC to resolve their petition during the tribunal’s session on Tuesday. 

Marcos and the six provincial officers detained by the House have asked the SC to stop the House inquiry into the alleged misuse of P66 million in tobacco funds by the provincial government and to issue a writ of amparo to protect them from the chamber.

The six also petitioned for their release.

Marcos is facing arrest if she snubs the next hearing on Tuesday.

Imee asked: Explain missing documents

Rep. Enrico Pineda of party-list 1-Pacman urged Marcos to shed light on the “mysterious disappearance of documents pertaining to the questionable diversion of funds that should have been used exclusively for the welfare of tobacco farmers.”

“Only Governor Marcos can solve the mystery behind the missing documents after such irregular purchases were uncovered. Her stamp of approval was in almost all of the documents related to these transactions, so who else can best explain the paper trail behind them?” Pineda said.

He said the six provincial officers detained by the House “who have surprisingly been afflicted with collective amnesia are obviously covering up for something that could land them in jail.” 

“They have chosen to be cited in contempt and be detained rather than tell the truth behind these questionable transactions,” Pineda said.

The House committee on good government and public accountability, which is doing the inquiry, held the six, including the province’s budget officer and accountant, for their “evasive answers” on the fund disbursements and the procurement of 115 vehicles using tobacco funds.

Marcos has accused Cynthia Gorospe, who she claimed is an employee in Fariñas’ office, of stealing the documents.

Gorospe has denied the accusation, saying she returned them after she made photocopies. 

Commenting on Marcos’ accusation, Fariñas said, “She’s coming up with a yarn that it was a person connected to me who stole the original documents that have gone missing in the capitol. Really? Who’s using the loss of the originals as an alibi in not remembering the transactions under question?” 

“I have photocopies of those original documents, but when we initiated the probe on the transactions, her people stole the original documents and now claim the loss of such as their alibi not to remember the transactions subject of the inquiry,” he said.

“She is having herself invited to media fora of her choice, but is doing everything not to honor the invitation, now a subpoena, of the House that is conducting an inquiry into the matter. She has even asked the SC to restrain and prohibit the House to give her an opportunity to present her side for the whole world to hear,” Fariñas added.